The Destiny of Life, aka The Gift of Death
by Balin Lord of Moria
Summary: On an unnamed planet teeming with the Force and midi-chlorians, Ahsoka Tano learns from mysterious Force users the benefits and the boundaries of mortality, and the price of retaining consciousness in a galaxy full of tragedy and mayhem.


**A/N:** This story is a bit of a rebuttal against what was portrayed and talked about in the final story arc of season six of _The Clone Wars_. There _has_ to be _some way_ for the souls of the dead to continue their journey after death. The concept in this story is based off of "The Gift of Men" from _The Silmarillion_ and _The Lord of the Rings_.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Star Wars: The Clone Wars_. Dave Filoni does, and so does Disney.

* * *

"_Death is just the beginning."_ – Moral of The Clone Wars episode **Destiny**

"_Sleep, all life is a dream."_ – Kit Fisto

* * *

It had been three weeks since Ahsoka Tano had left the Jedi Order because of disappointment in the Jedi Council for not believing in her during her ordeal with the bombing in the Temple. Ahsoka had gotten off of Coruscant the day after she left the Temple, and she had been traveling from planet to planet, trying to find a place where she could rest and gather her thoughts and feelings together. She had been to Nar Shaddaa, and found it much less than hospitable, staying there only two days. She had snuck into Separatist-controlled Raxus Prime, but found it too dirty for her needs. Then she tried many other planets, from Felucia and Castell, to Murkhana and Teth.

She had once considered Eriadu, but it was a world with a strong connection to Coruscant, and anyway, it was the home world of the despicable Tarkin clan, of whom Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin was a member. She even considered hiding on Skako, but her pressure suit that she had to wear virtually all the time impeded her ability to meditate, and besides, the xenophobic Skakoans never made her feel welcome.

Then, she remembered a planet where she could get in touch with friends she could trust: Onderon. She had gone there, and her old friend, Lux Bonteri, was very glad to see her. He and his friends agreed to keep Ahsoka's whereabouts a secret, and Ahsoka stayed with Lux in his apartment. He was definitely the polar opposite of the Skakoans; he welcomed her warmly, and allowed her to stay as long as she liked.

However, Ahsoka was soon going to go on an adventure unlike any she had been on before, except perhaps for her visit to Mortis. On the day this story begins, Ahsoka and Lux were in Lux's private shuttle, headed for Dxun, one of the four moons of Onderon, where a meeting was going to be held between the delegates of Onderon about Onderon's intentions to re-join the Republic. Lux set the ship on autopilot and joined Ahsoka in the cabin.

"Ahsoka," Lux wondered, "Do you think you're ever going to give the Jedi Council another chance someday? To apologize, I mean?"

"Oh, well," sighed Ahsoka, "I suppose in time, I can learn to forgive them, at least. But I'm not going back to the Jedi Order, no matter what."

"But you can't hold your bad feelings toward Barriss Offee and the Council against every single Jedi that exists, you know," Lux said, looking sad that she apparently wanted nothing further to do with any of the Jedi ever again.

"Don't worry about that, Lux," said Ahsoka, "I didn't say that I hold a grudge against every last Jedi that has ever existed, and I also didn't say that I never want to see any of them again, although I think that _could_ apply to Barriss." She frowned and pouted. Lux watched her with concern.

"Ahsoka," he asked, "What's really bothering you today?"

Ahsoka looked at him. Her face looked sad and distant. "It's just something that's bothered me for quite some time, Lux. I've left the Jedi Order now. Does that mean that I can never become one with the Force after I die? I don't want to fall into nothingness after I perish. And think of all the friends I've made, including you-well, at least the ones who didn't betray me, anyway. Master Yoda always implied that all that happens to an ordinary dead person is that they 'transform into the Force.' Does that mean that there's no hope for something better for us all after death?"

Lux was surprised to learn that such a topic was troubling Ahsoka. "Ahsoka," he tried to assure her, "I'm sure that there's something for all good people after their passing. The only way we can know for certain what it is is by experiencing it ourselves."

Just then, all the systems in the shuttle shut themselves down. Ahsoka and Lux looked around in considerable surprise.

"What happened to the power?" Ahsoka wanted to know.

"I don't know," said Lux, "I hope that the life support systems are still working, at least."

Suddenly, a strange, disembodied voice spoke from within the ship. "You two are under the protection of my brother, my sister, and I."

Ahsoka recoiled. Her hands almost went for her missing lightsabers. Evidently Lux had heard it too, because he looked more afraid than Ahsoka had ever seen him before.

"Wh-who was that?" said Ahsoka, lips trembling. Lux visibly cringed.

"There is no need to be frightened of us, Ahsoka Tano and Lux Bonteri," the voice said again, "We have been aware of young Tano's fears of death for some time now, and the Force has guided you to us so we may show you as much of the answer as we are capable of showing you."

By now, they had noticed that the course of the ship had shifted. It had moved toward what looked almost like a black hole of some sort. To Ahsoka and Lux's alarm, they went inside it. Onderon and its moons were no longer visible to them.

"We're in a black hole!" Lux almost freaked. "How are we going to get back to our own galaxy?"

The voice said dryly, "I find your lack of faith in our abilities disturbing, young Bonteri. Relax yourselves; this will be a short ride, as we are bringing you directly to our own world beyond corporeal space."

Ahsoka was astonished. They were actually leaving corporeal space! She wondered if anyone else had ever had such an experience. Lux just hugged himself, as if he was afraid he might turn into a bodiless ghost at any second, which he probably was.

* * *

The shuttle was guided by the power of the Force to a strange planet, which seemed to have a rainbow of many colors for an atmosphere. It went into the atmosphere and was brought down to the ground, where it landed safely.

Ahsoka and Lux, relieved that the journey seemed to be over, tentatively walked out of the ship after lowering the ramp. What they saw took their breath away.

The planet was covered in flora and fauna reminiscent of all kinds of worlds and cultures from their galaxy. There were swamps like on Rodia. There were grassy plains, like on Shili. Everywhere they looked, they saw the ice of Ilum, the snow of Pantora, the deserts of Tatooine and Geonosis, the seas of Glee Anselm and Dac, the forests of Endor, the sinkholes of Utapau, and the jungles of Kashyyyk. But to their greatest astonishment, they could see, not far away, a small group of metal buildings, much like the skyscrapers of Coruscant. What would they be doing on a place like this, they wondered?

Then they heard the voice again. It was becoming more distinct now, like the voice of a male-gendered spirit. "Come. Walk to the skyscrapers. That is where we shall await thee."

Ahsoka and Lux looked and shrugged at each other. What else was there to do? As amazing as this world looked and felt, they didn't want to get lost on it, especially not when company was expecting them.

They thought it would take at least an hour to reach the buildings, but in actuality, it took only fifteen minutes. Ahsoka wondered if this guy with the ethereal voice was making the walk a little easier on them on purpose. At the foot of the pseudo-city, the voice said, "Enter the tallest tower. There will be a Force-guided elevator waiting for you inside. It will bring you to us, so we may talk."

Ahsoka and Lux obediently stepped inside the tower, and stood on what they assumed was the "elevator" in question. It whisked them quickly, but comfortably, to the very top of the tower, where their mysterious hosts waited to speak with them.

Needless to say, the three hosts that awaited the two of them were nothing like any mortals they had ever seen. Even the Father, Son, and Daughter of Mortis hadn't looked quite like this. Three humanoid figures stood before them. From the shape of their bodies, two of them were male, and the third was a female. They were dressed in elegant, silver robes and belts, and were barefoot. All of them had masks on. One of the males wore a copper crown on his head, and his eyes shone an impossibly beautiful shade of blue light between the eyeholes of his mask. The other male wore what must have been a white helmet on his head, like the upper part of a clone trooper's helmet, and his eyes glowed red. The female wore a glittering, gold tiara, and her eyes shone with a deep, penetrating green color.

Even though they were all wearing masks, Ahsoka could sense somehow that they all radiated different feelings than each other. The blue-eyed figure must have noted this, because he answered Ahsoka's unspoken question.

"You are right, young Tano," he said, "We each stand for traits, _and_ for ideals. We are the Three Deacon Siblings. I am called Wisdom. My brother's name is Strength, and my sister is known as Elegance. I am the One who imparts the wisdom of the Force to any and all Force users who follow the path of right, even unto and beyond death itself."

For the first time, the other two beings spoke. "I am the One who lends the strength of body and will to all who suffer under evil and make them brave and resolute in the face of death, even if they were not originally that way in personality," said Strength.

"And I am the One who heals and restores those who suffered not only through the ravages of evil beings, but also through stages of corruption and blasphemy, and have redeemed themselves in order to see what the afterlife has to offer them," said Elegance.

Ahsoka's big eyes were as wide as they could possibly get. Lux felt like he was in a trance. These being were talking to them about death and life after, for real?

Ahsoka remembered her manners suddenly and knelt, pulling Lux into a similar position with her. "Uh, thank you for bringing us here," she said, "But where exactly is here? And why does it exist in a black hole?"

Elegance spoke. "This is not a conventional black hole, Ahsoka. This planet is one of the very few that does not have a name, although some could possibly see it as a Utopia outside of physical space if they could. It is one of the wellsprings of the Force, and the source of the souls of all living things. My brothers and I are immortal beings, who are bound to forever protect this planet and see that every deceased spirit makes it through to the unknown place where almost all life goes."

"Amazing," said Lux, forgetting to be quiet.

Strength said, "Silence, young Bonteri. When we wish for you to speak, one of us will tell you so."

"Yes, of course, I'm sorry," said Lux nervously.

"How did you know that the thought of death has been bothering me?" demanded Ahsoka, "And what do you mean, you don't know where the dead go after death? From everything you've just said, I would've figured that you knew all about it!"

"Peace, Tano," said Elegance, "We know as much about it as we are allowed. And what we know is much, but not everything. No one, anywhere in existence, knows the details that lie only in the freedom of the Force. But death is not something for anyone to fear, for it is another stage of life, and it opens the door to something that every sentient being should be grateful for."

"Allow us to explain, young Tano and Bonteri," said Wisdom. "Ever since the Force first created midi-chlorians, which in turn create new life-forms, we have existed, and so has the Gift of Death."

"The _'Gift of Death?'_" Ahsoka stuttered disbelievingly.

"Do not interrupt!" Strength said sternly, "Wisdom is one who should never be interrupted, by anyone, not even by Elegance or myself!"

"Right, right," Ahsoka said, holding out her hands as if begging for mercy from Strength.

"Peace, Strength," said Elegance, "It _is_ wrong to interrupt our elder brother, but young Tano meant nothing by it. Do not yell at her."

"Thank you, sister," said Wisdom, "Your interruptions thus far are pardoned. But do not do it repeatedly."

Ahsoka and Lux nodded hurriedly.

"As I was saying," said Wisdom, "the Gift of Death is a gift from the Force to all ordinary people in the galaxy, as well as all Jedi who cannot retain consciousness in corporeal space after death. The concept includes mortality and free will. It sets all ordinary people apart from the special people who continue to influence the living after their passing. Some Jedi of your time, including Master Yoda and Ahsoka's former Master, the Chosen One, will have eternal life in the galaxy you all live in now, thanks to a secret known only by the Five Priestesses and the late Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. While they will receive the most bliss and contentment of all life forms and conceive the most spiritual beauty, the multitudes without this ability will be the prime instruments of the Living Force and the Unifying Force.

"People without a very strong Force connection are not content within the confines of this war-torn galaxy, particularly not those who stay true to goodness, and find no rest. Therefore they seek beyond the world and its confines. They are not bound to the Circles of the Universe, as the Force ghosts of Yoda and his comrades will be. All mortals truly leave the physical space, and do not return. The Force spirits of Jedi Masters and the Chosen One will not die until the universe dies, or until they lose the strength to maintain their consciousness, just as ourselves and the Five Priestesses do not die. But take my word for it, young ones. As the years grow long and time wears, even we and the Priestesses, let alone Yoda, Skywalker, and the other Jedi, will come to envy the Gift of the Force to the less powerful in the Force and the ordinary people, that of liberation from the physical world, and the inevitability of loss and sorrows that must come with this existence within the galaxy. The people who live in your galaxy are motivated to create destinies for themselves amidst the powers and chances of the world.

"The will of the Force understands, as well, that humans and aliens will not always use this gift of freedom in harmony with the galaxy, and will stray often. But it also knows that in their time, all life forms will continue to order their lives within corporeal space and by their operation everything should be, in form and deed, completed, and the world fulfilled unto the last and smallest. Ordinary beings are the implements by which the Force's plans for the galaxy will be realized in ages to come."

This was too much for Lux to take in. All this knowledge was something a senator like him was not prepared to memorize. But Ahsoka drank it all in, and she began to wonder if this was really true. She didn't think Wisdom, Strength, or Elegance would lie to her, but it was still too amazing to entirely believe.

"We know as well as you do, young Ahsoka," said Elegance, "that you desire to become one with the Force after death. Well, the ability to retain consciousness is very difficult to achieve, and only a rare few get it. But now, do you not know that to live on in the physical plane of your galaxy will only bring you grief and weariness as the years and millennia go by?"

"Yes," said Strength, "You are strong, Tano, but not strong enough to withstand the potential madness of immortality."

Ahsoka shrugged helplessly.

"To prove our point to you," said Wisdom, "and to test you to see where your true needs and desires lie, I have a test for you, Ahsoka Tano. And your friend, Lux Bonteri, shall play a small part in it. Strength and Elegance are going to show you two scenarios, each representing something related to mortality and immortality. It is up to you to decide which one is your more desired future."

The next moment, the Deacon called Strength raised his hands and opened his mask. Instead of a face, a blinding red light shone out from it. Ahsoka and Lux shaded their eyes. When the light disappeared, Ahsoka found herself faced with a multitude she had never expected to see all together.

The background was all black; the world that was being displayed was apparently invisible to everyone's eyes. But amidst that blackness, Ahsoka could see all kinds of familiar faces, as well as some that were not so familiar. In one area stood Duchess Satine Kryze, standing with a content smile on her face. With her stood her sister, Bo-Katan Kryze, the warhawk of the Nite Owls, and nearby were their nephew, Korkie Kryze, and his three closest friends at the Mandalorian academy, Lagos, Amis, and Soniee, all young adults. In another place, to her astonishment, she could see her old friend, Padmé Amidala, who looked to be about as old as she was right now, to Ahsoka's shock, and behind her stood young Riyo Chuchi, and a much older Bail Organa and Mon Mothma. Even Lux's old mother, Mina Bonteri, was there, and she gave Lux an encouraging smile, too.

There were many clones there, too, everyone from the five clones of Domino Squad and Captain Rex to Fives' friends in the 501st. Some of the clones were ones she didn't remember ever associating with. Some, like Commanders Cody, Bly, and Gree had their heads down, as if they felt guilty about something. She wondered at that. She also saw a lot of Rebel soldiers, like the Onderon Rebels such as Dono and Steela Gerrera, but she also saw some soldiers she didn't recognize, though some of them looked like they might have worked for the grizzled Jedi General Rahm Kota.

Then it started to get truly astonishing. Ahsoka could see the faces and clothed bodies of many Jedi she had once known, and they were all smiling at her. Kit Fisto and dear Plo Koon, Luminara Unduli and Adi Gallia, Mace Windu and Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Tera Sinube and Aayla Secura. The younglings she remembered from her adventures with Hondo Ohnaka were there, too. Katooni, Petro, Byph, Gungi, Zatt, and Ganodi, they were all there. Even Hondo himself was there; at least, Ahsoka _thought_ he was there. Ahsoka was taken aback, though, when she saw Barriss Offee, the "friend" who betrayed her, standing with them, too. But unlike the others, Barriss' attention wasn't focused on Ahsoka. Barriss seemed to be crying on the shoulder of a cute-looking, middle-aged man who was actively weeping with her and hugging her close. Ahsoka thought she heard Barriss say breathlessly, "I'm so sorry, Uli." Then she heard the man named Uli say, "It's all right, Barriss. I thought I lost you forever." "So did I, Uli," Barriss sniffled. Then, to Ahsoka's stunned disbelief, her former friend and Uli actually _kissed_.

Lux must have been watching this scene with her, because he said to Ahsoka, "I wish we could do something like that together."

Ahsoka blushed, but she maintained her composure. "Okay, then," she said, "What exactly am I seeing right now?"

Strength said, "These are the faces of people you know and do not know. They already have, or will in time to come, relinquished their souls to the will of the Force and have moved on to a fate unknown to all who physically live. The blackness that surrounds the area behind them represents the clouded mystery of this next plane of existence."

"And what happens to people who don't accept this gift of death graciously?" asked Ahsoka, "I mean, I don't think all life forms let go of their lives gracefully."

Strength then showed Ahsoka an alternate version of that scenario. In this one, she and Lux could see the faces of people who feared death and wanted to remain alive forever for selfish reasons. Although almost all of them were still alive for the present, she could see every member of the Separatist Council there, from Nute Gunray to Wat Tambor. She also saw the souls of Sith Lords and corrupt Republic senators before her eyes. Every greedy, cowardly senator of the Galactic Senate, from Ask Aak to Orn Free Taa, was there, as were Sith Lords like Darth Maul, Savage Opress, and even Count Dooku. There was also one particular Sith whom Ahsoka could not recognize. He was dressed in a loose black robe and hood that covered most of his face. Force Lightning was crackling from his hands, torturing all the people around him, but she could se that he, himself, was being tortured by his own lightning, as well.

"This is the dark, hellish twilight where those that resist the Gift of Death go to after death," said Strength, "There is no return for them, either. Because they abused their lives, and those of others, in corporeal space, and were too afraid of death, they shall suffer forever in their own pits of filth when they perish."

Ahsoka and Lux shuddered. This was not something that bore thinking about, not even when directed at their enemies.

"And now it is time for the other scenario," said Elegance. The Deaconess opened her own mask, and a bright green light poured out from behind it. When it dissipated, Ahsoka saw another sight that truly astounded her.

Somehow she recognized the five near-identical figures in the background as the Five Priestesses the Deacons had spoken of. In front of them, there were four figures that shone with an ethereal blue light about them. One had long hair and a well-trimmed beard. Although she had never met him in her life, Ahsoka knew, possibly by the mental prompting of Wisdom, that this was the legendary Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Beside him stood an old man with thin, gray hair and a short, gray beard. He looked much older than Ahsoka knew him, but it wasn't hard to tell that this was Obi-Wan Kenobi himself. At his feet stood someone she instantly recognized as Master Yoda. Lastly, she saw someone she would recognize any day. He was dressed a little differently than she was used to him being, in brown and white Jedi robes instead of black and dark brown leather Jedi clothes, but she knew him nonetheless.

His name was Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One.

Then the scene started to change a little. Ahsoka saw much of the future history of the galaxy. She saw the Jedi Order crumble, and a Sith-controlled Empire take over the galaxy. She saw Chancellor Palpatine be crowned as its first and only Emperor. She watched as it hunted down surviving Jedi through her own Master, now known as Darth Vader, while brutalizing and ravaging the galaxy as a whole, all in the name of "peace and order." Then, several Republic senators, a Jedi Master named Rahm Kota, and a mysterious figure known only as Starkiller, formed a Rebel Alliance against this threat, and the two twin children of Anakin, Luke and Leia, came out of hiding and helped the Alliance save the galaxy with their strength, their ingenuity, and the power of the light of the Force.

To Ahsoka's amazement, one of the twins, Luke, even managed to redeem Anakin Skywalker of his evil ways and bring him back to the light, and Anakin finally brought balance to the Force by destroying the Emperor when the latter tried to torture Luke to death with Force Lightning. The Rebels celebrated on the forest moon of Endor with some of their allies, the race of Ewoks. The spirits of Obi-Wan, Yoda, Anakin, and in secret, Qui-Gon, watched the celebration and smiled at the Skywalker twins with pride.

It seemed to Ahsoka a good reason to want to stay in the galaxy after death. But then, the image started to change again. Many more terrible things happened, though they were more or less balanced out by good things, too. First an Imperial Grand Admiral named Thrawn, and then a resurrected Palpatine, attempted to revive the Empire and regain control of the galaxy. A monstrous Imperial woman named Natasi Daala, who, as Ahsoka was soon informed, was the mistress of Admiral Tarkin, resurfaced and declared a vendetta against the New Republic and its heroes. The remnants of the Empire made peace with the New Republic, but then a horrifying alien race from another galaxy called the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the galaxy and ravaged it worse than even Palpatine had, until the New Jedi Order was able to stop them. Nevertheless, many in the galaxy were very ungrateful to the New Jedi for defeating the Vong the way they did, and said that the Imperial Military could have done a much better job. And Ahsoka was shown a lot of other future events that were likely to happen after this.

"Are all these things actually going to happen, Deacons?" she couldn't help asking.

"It is always likely," said Elegance, "But sometimes things can turn out much differently than predicted. 'Hard to see, the dark side is,' as your Master Yoda says. 'Always in motion is the future.' You have no control over the future at this point, but it is up to you whether you wish to alter the destiny of your afterlife and become immortal like your old friends and your Master, though the Five Priestesses would serve better for teaching you how to do that than we would. But there is a last test to make, to find out for certain whether your allegiance lies with the Gift of Death and those you love, or with those you are loyal to and the ongoing history and fate of the galaxy."

Ahsoka looked worried. "And what if I choose the latter?"

"That is up to the Force to decide," said Elegance. Then, without warning, Strength turned into some sort of giant eagle with four wings instead of two, and plucked Lux from his spot on the ground.

"Hey! What are you doing? Put me down!" Lux said, but Strength ignored his order, and continued to clutch him in the sky. Strength took Lux over to the scenario where Ahsoka had seen all her dear friends and common people gathered together in the darkness.

"Put him down, Strength! Please! Leave Lux alone!" shouted Ahsoka, but again, Strength only continued to clutch Lux by his arms.

"Your friend, Lux Bonteri, has no choice but to go with the Gift of Death, young Ahsoka," said Wisdom, "He is not Force-sensitive, and cannot master the ability to retain consciousness."

Next, Elegance transformed into a beautiful swan, and swam through a pool of light to where the spectral form of Anakin Skywalker and his mentors stood. They were now all looking in her direction. Elegance's great white wings spread out, and the blue light of the Force spirits shone brightly. They all smiled at her, and Anakin gave Ahsoka an offer.

"Come to us, Ahsoka," he said, "To retain consciousness is to see all that happens to future generations and how they handle maintaining the balance I have restored. You and I will be with each other forever."

"To become one with the Force, yet influence still to have," said Yoda, "A power greater than all, it is."

"You will learn much about the galaxy that you never knew, Ahsoka," said Obi-Wan. "It is a power that so few can have; why would anyone who can have it pass it up?"

"It cannot be granted, it can only be taught," intoned Qui-Gon. "It is yours to learn, if you wish it, young Ahsoka Tano."

Ahsoka looked at the four of them, and a longing to be with her Master and their mentors for all time came over her. She smiled weakly and said, "I would consider it, Masters."

But then, she heard the cries of Lux coming from behind her again. He cried out that he didn't want to lose Ahsoka either, and that she meant so much to him. The others standing in the near-darkness pleaded with her, too. Satine and her Mandalorian family and their friends wanted her to stay with them. Katooni and her youngling pals wanted Ahsoka to come and play with them, saying that it would be awfully boring without her as a close friend. The Jedi she once knew wanted her company, as well, saying that it would not be the same without Ahsoka in the Force with them. She even heard her former friend, Barriss, beg her to forgive her for her crimes, saying that her other best friend, Uli, had redeemed her reputation by joining the Alliance and helping them in any way he could, plus the fact that he did it in honor of Barriss and Princess Leia Organa.

Ahsoka was conflicted. The Mandalorians, especially Korkie and his friends, so wanted her to be with them, Katooni and the young Jedi wanted to play with her, and the Jedi wanted her for company. Barriss sounded as if she was pleading on her knees. But it was so tempting to revisit corporeal space, in spite of all the future ravages of war that she had seen. Then, suddenly, amongst his other cries, she heard Lux say something that she never thought he would say.

"I love you, Ahsoka!"

This almost clinched it for her. She looked back at the mysterious netherworld the Deacons were showing her and saw the sincerity in everyone's eyes, but most of all, in the eyes of Lux. A tear was even running down his face as he called to her.

"Please, Ahsoka! You can't leave me all alone in this place! I'll have my mother back, but it still won't be the same without you! Please?"

Ahsoka was distraught. She looked back at the Force ghosts and was startled to see all the descendants of Anakin Skywalker stand together. To her shock, she could see that many of them had that look in their eyes that meant they were going to be troubled by the dark side. She sensed, somehow, that all of them were going to be redeemed in time, too, but it was still a chilling revelation. Her former Master was going to have a line of impure descendants who would do bad things in the name of the Force, and yet, they were all going to be redeemed and live on as Force ghosts, just like him. She looked at her Master one more time and suddenly saw a flash of his armored Sith suit as Darth Vader before his spirit. She squinted and clenched her fists. Strength continued to clutch Lux. Elegance continued to stimulate the light coming from the spirits.

"The time has come, Ahsoka Tano," said Wisdom, "Make your decision. Who shall it be? Your mentors and spiritual immortality, or your old friends, loved ones, and mortality?"

Ahsoka was still undecided for a few more moments. Then, her eyes were opened to the truth of her desires and needs. She was a lady who needed the freedom of release from the confines of the world she knew. Her destiny was with the peace of the Force and the company of her loved ones, not with her tainted but redeemed Master or the continuing travesties of the galaxy.

She turned back to Lux and the others and said, "I choose mortality!"

Abruptly, both scenarios vanished before her eyes. Her deceased friends sank back into the unknown location of their realm. The Force ghosts twinkled out and disappeared. Strength released Lux, and he and Elegance changed back to their normal forms.

Lux and Ahsoka hugged enthusiastically. "I knew you would come for me, Ahsoka," Lux gushed.

"You didn't just say you loved me for selfish reasons, did you?" Ahsoka wanted to know.

"No," said Lux, "I mean it! You're the girl for me."

They kissed sincerely. It felt so good for Ahsoka to be so close to her lover.

"So be it, then," said Wisdom, breaking them out of their reverie. "You have lost a great power by your choice, young Tano, but by choosing what your heart tells you to, you have chosen wisely. You have chosen both the sweet and the bitter. For eternity after you die, you and your friends shall be in a place unknown even to myself and my siblings, but you shall have the pleasure of freedom from the tragedies and weariness of time. But at the same time, this means that you cannot see the people who are to die after your time until their time comes. And you shall never see your Master again, or his three mentors, until the end of time. That is the boundary and the price of mortality."

The next moment, the Three Deacon Siblings all but vanished before Ahsoka and Lux's eyes. Then, once again without warning, everything went black…


End file.
